


On the Prowl

by deathwailart



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, F/M, Female Character of Color, Horror, Hunting, Lesbian Character of Color, Monsters, Urban Fantasy, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-07
Updated: 2013-03-07
Packaged: 2017-12-04 14:32:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/711786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deathwailart/pseuds/deathwailart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for imaginary beasts, book #38 urban fantasy.  </p>
<p>Any town, any city was a whole new animal at night bathed in the sickly orange glow of street lights or garishly bright neon signs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On the Prowl

Any town, any city was a whole new animal at night bathed in the sickly orange glow of street lights or garishly bright neon signs. Headlights casting odd shadows, staccato thump of music, revving engines and screaming brakes. And still people out at all hours no matter the weather or what day would dawn in the morning. Night was a time for the workaholics to sleep on the train home, a fitful sort of sleep where they jerked into wakefulness at every stop, surreptitiously wiping chins to check for saliva, glancing around to confirm whether or not they had snored. A time for stranger huddling in pub doorways, light and sound spilling out from under the doors, sharing a light and smoke. Then the zombie shuffle at last orders, swaying wildly out into the street, groaning, singing, laughing. Throwing their arms wide they embraced any chance to fight at any sort of provocation, howling and shrieking like angry chimps until sirens wailed, police breaking it up. That was only one world. That was far from the whole story.  
  
Dark made many things bold. It masked them and gave them a certain sort of edge; long ago they had sprung from darkness itself, small wonder they still preferred it to daylight. Night was time for monsters to prowl with their odd misshapen bodies and strange, bizarre was probably a better word, array of limbs. Eyes filled with hunger or malice, too large, too small, too many, even too few, colours human eyes didn't come in. They were eerie to look into, pits of nothingness the last thing victims saw before they were killed. Their mouths were something no one would ever want to dwell on, nor their foul breath. In the dark they cast no shadows even when the light touched them but still they were reflected in doors, windows, any gleaming surface so long as it wasn't silver, the one thing they feared. No one noticed in the dark. Well, almost no one. In the day if they happened to be out in the sun they hissed, gnashed their teeth and wailed, clawed at themselves seeking shadowy places in which to hide. The sun weakened them for their creator had shunned it long before the monsters had ever been spawned in their pits. They could still be dangerous. It made them angry and anger made them stronger, more dangerous than any cornered animal.  
  
Like so many things in life, if you didn't know what you were doing it was better to step back and leave it to someone who did. Not that many people knew a damn thing about what lurked in their midst, unexplained assaults, deaths and disappearances blamed on a myriad of other things, normal, believable, plausible everyday things. Too many remained cold with no resolution for those left behind still looking for answers they'd never receive unless the right whispers reached the right ears. It was seldom that they did. The world had moved on or so it thought, time for suspicions of the supernatural belonged to the past when people looked to explain things science could not, at least in those days. Too often believers of the 'wrong' thing were weird, crazy, looked upon with scorn and pity, often disbelief if they seemed a particularly sensible sort of person save that particularly peculiarity. Sometimes there would be genuine curiosity that was well-meaning but all too easily twisted into something else. This world could be explained by your science or your God although not every God was right, it had to be a very specific sort of God according to so many who failed to follow the most basic lessons of their religions, instead placing emphasis on specific parts to justify how their viewpoint on an issue was the truth to govern all the world. That was how the world was and that was how it would be.  
  
Violet Masters knew the truth of the world, that shadows that prowled functioning on hate and bestial instinct. A little taller than average, she possessed an athletic frame she honed almost every night as a necessity. Her skin was a deep brown, here eyes darker and she wore her hair in a multitude of tight braids she often pulled back when she worked, some section dyed a rich purple, another section royal blue. As ever she dressed sensibly when going out clad in sturdy boots with thick soles and good grip, loose trousers that wouldn't restrict her movement and her upper half followed the same suit; comic books, tv shows, films and everything else could have their heroines clad in ultra tight numbers revealing miles of bare skin, she'd rather be warm, protected and have a full range of movement. Monster hunting meant having to run, climb and fight on a regular basis, every second counting. Monsters grabbed at hair and clothes, had no fear of dramatic lunges across buildings or roads, scrabbled up the sides of buildings with their claws sinking deep into stone, concrete, wood and metal to support them. Violet was the best at what she did - evidenced by her success rates, the fat pay checks she brought home and the way monsters fear her just as much as they loathed her – because she knew exactly what it took to take that position and maintain it.  
  
Pulling her jacket tighter around herself she sighed, picking up the pace, more than ready to be inside and out of the cold. She'd go home, put the kettle on and soon she'd be warming her hands around a steaming cup of tea, the rest of her thawing out in the process. _Being a monster hunter has terrible hours_ , she reflected, but she'd never give it up. There was a thrill to what she did facing down creatures so few knew of outside nightmares or horror stories and she was secure in the knowledge that she kept people safe, one monster less to prey on them every time she fired her gun or struck with her knife. Not that people would be grateful. She knew that well enough. Sometimes they could be, crying, shaking and stumbling over their words as she waited for police or an ambulance to help. All too often there was a hardness to their faces or voices. What had taken her so long, why hadn't she been faster, I had the situation under control. Maybe it was because she was a woman – how often had she dealt with that in her training? It still got under her skin when she remembered the early days of trying to prove herself in their organisation. The old timers had snorted and proclaimed that her place was organisation or welcome them back, far from the action. Some even doubted her claims that, just like them, she could see monsters, that rare quirk no one had explained to her satisfaction. She'd worked her arse off to prove every doubter wrong, savouring the looks on their faces when time and time again she had the top kill count each month.  
  
No one passed up a chance to have Violet Masters take care of monsters to the point that she had to turn down jobs. If there was a situation other hunters had tried and failed to deal with you got Violet or Violet's recommendation on someone to deal with it.  
  
Tonight though she was glad to be done patrolling when she could see her house growing ever closer, a few lights still glowing behind the curtains. No matter how many times she told her not to, Serena always waited up for her to return, usually curled up on the couch with tea and a book. If it was especially late she'd be asleep with the book still in her lap and her glasses threatening to slide down her nose looking so comfortable and downright adorable that Violet felt guilty for waking her. It had been a gamble when she'd told Serena about what she could do – there were no rules or laws governing the conduct of people who could see something other than the normal world. After all it could happen to anyone at all and Violet still had no idea how people coped without a good support network; so many of those who hunted monsters married within their own community because they knew and understood. There were no lies or someone thinking you were crazy. Organisations like the one Violet worked for found people, explained it all to them and that was that, what you did with your knowledge was your business. She had her suspicions about how they found people that she'd discussed with her parents who couldn't see what she saw but believed her when she had gone to them as a terrified teenager. They'd helped her get her answers and she loved them for it.  
  
Serena had been a whole other story, a nurse who was happy, in general, with the world as it was, someone Violet had hit it off with at a bar, numbers exchanged, dates and spending nights and days at their respective flats. When Violet realised she was falling in love with Serena she knew she had to tell her what she was getting into knowing that it might end badly with Violet getting her heart broken. She was glad that Serena hadn't just accepted her words as gospel when they sat at Violet's kitchen table to discuss it but she'd been even more glad and privately hopeful when the other women hadn't automatically stormed out.  
  
“I need some time,” she'd said, “a few days to think it over; can you give me that?”  
  
Violet had – she would give Serena anything even if she wasn't able to settle those days, stomach churning anxiously, palms slick with sweat at random intervals until Serena was waiting for her one night when she returned from hunting with monster blood clinging to her clothes but instead of red it was clear, the rainbow sheen of petrol when it was on the ground; after all, everything about the monsters was easy to explain away, they'd been designed with that in mind, infiltrate and savage the people, wolves amongst sheep. It must have been the look in her eyes that night more than anything else as Serena had stripped her (her hands had faltered on the weapons, they still did, she saw them turned on people all too often at work) and pushed her in the direction of the shower. When Violet had emerged from her clothes were in the wash with tea in the pot. They'd talked late into what remained of the night into the small hours of the morning, their voices failing until Serena had taken her to bed. Sleeping until noon she'd woken to a Serena who said she loved Violet and that she'd stay with her. After that they'd moved into Serena's flat because it was bigger than Violet's until they'd moved into the house they had now and life had gotten better – life was easier when she had a whole life to come home to.  
  
Violet unlocked her front door as quietly as she could, locking it behind her before she took off her boots and coat, the house quiet. Rubbing her hands she resisted the urge to call out for Serena instead peering around the sitting room door to spot her girlfriend. Serena was darker than Violet with high cheekbones and full lips, her hair thick and soft to the touch – Violet liked nothing more than to bury her fingers in it, massaging Serena's scalp with sure touches even though she had no idea why the act was as relaxing to her as it was to Serena. Serena was fast asleep with a cup in front of her, glasses perched on the end of her nose, a book open in her lap; Violet smiled and crept into the room to retrieve the cup heading into the kitchen to put the kettle on, the chamomile tea already waiting for her along with a jar of honey. Darting upstairs she changed quickly, scrubbing her face and hands to remove any blood and dirt, weapons out of the way, clothes ready for the wash. In warm worn pyjamas she could feel herself relax and decided to let Serena sleep a little longer when she went back downstairs to make her tea. Sometimes they talked, sometimes they made out on the couch before Violet dragged Serena upstairs and to bed but there were nights when she liked being on her own to sip honeyed tea in silence.  
  
In all honesty she was worried. There had been an increase in the presence of monsters lately that had her out later and later, night after night. They were bold right now, snapping and snarling even as she cut or shot through them. More worryingly, she suspected they were getting stronger but it was hard to tell if they truly were or if she was starting to burn out. She hadn't done that in years, back when she was wet behind the ears trying to prove not that she was just as good as everyone else but that she was better. Even the best had their limits and if this kept up much longer they would all need to sit down to formulate a plan of action. As she leant back against the kitchen counter she allowed her to take stock of her aches and pains, sore feet, tight calves and thighs, one knee pulsing – she should put ice on it, she'd regret it (and Serena's looks) come morning but she was too tired to stay up longer and her shoulders were stiff, protesting if she dared to stretch her arms. Most of her tea was dumped in the sink. Time to wake Serena and go to bed curled up against her, safe and secure for a few hours.  
  
\---  
  
Weeks passed. The daylight hours of normal life shot by all too quickly. The nights dragged on endlessly in one long blur of running and climbing to chase down monsters who ran hard with something close to unholy glee. Every last one of the hunters reporting back exhausted, trembling and weaving on their feet with many sporting injuries. Some minor, some worse. Violet had the sneaking suspicion that she'd torn something in her knee after twisting suddenly but she could keep going – they had no choice, not with the newspaper headlines screaming about this unprecedented rise in violent crime. People were frightened, just what the monsters loved.  
  
“I've never seen anything like this,” Rupert confessed, a tiny old man with a ruddy complexion, blue eyes watery with age as he smoothed his wispy white hair nervously. He'd been a great hunter in his day until age had caught up with him by way of near-crippling arthritis. Now he was involved in organisation tracking hot spots on maps.  
Violet frowned, rolling her shoulders to relieve the ache in them. “Really? There are always spikes, three years ago down south they had a bad wave of activity.”  
  
“Not like this, Violet you know this is bad.” She couldn't meet his worried gaze and looked instead at his hands with their swollen joints and papery skin, the missing pinkie and ring finger of his right hand. They were shaking.  
  
“We'll get it done,” summoning up some bravado and her conviction as best she could when she was this drained, she continued with a forced smile that didn't reach her eyes, “This can't last, they'll burn out and we'll slaughter them.” _If we don't burn out first_ , she thought.  
  
“Be careful,” Rupert called out as she left.  
  
“You too,” she echoed, not bothering to disguise the tightness in her voice.  
  
Even though she felt ready to drop the instant she arrived home, she couldn't when she saw Serena pacing between the kitchen and the living room. Her shift finished hours ago but she was still in her hospital scrubs wringing her hands. The moment she spotted Violet she launched herself, uncaring of blood or weapons. Violet staggered but held her, hands rubbing Serena's back as she tried to make out what her girlfriend was saying with her face buried in her shoulder.  
  
“Serena, baby, I can't hear you.”  
  
“A girl today,” Serena choked out and Violet gasped at the shining tears on her cheeks; whatever it was that had happened was bad, Serena saw and heard some awful things at work and they no longer affected her as they once did. “ _Monsters_. She was assaulted, doesn't remember a thing but she said it was a whole pack-” she broke off for a long moment to get her breathing under control, “a whole pack. She told me about a nightmare she had when she woke up from sedation...”  
Violet didn't need Serena to say more as bile rose in her throat, burning all the way up. “It's bad out there,” was all she could say when she trusted her voice.  
  
“You're being safe?”  
  
“Safe as I can be, Serena, we just,” she swallowed hard needing space to breath and took a step back, letting go of the other women, “we just don't know.” Serena's mouth was a thin hard line of worry. “I can't tell you what I don't know – hunting these things is my job, I'm doing what I can to get rid of them but no one knows what's going on.” It made her feel small and helpless and that in turn fed her frustrations with the monsters and lack of information. She thought of the fear in Rupert's eyes, the tears on Serena's cheeks, the blood in the streets, human and monsters.  
  
“There are so many hurt and traumatised people in the hospital, I don't want to see you in there too.” Serena's whisper cut through her life a knife, stunning her into silence. Maybe it was better that way as it stopped her from voicing the treacherous thought.  
  
_I won't end up in the hospital. I'll be in the morgue or lost forever._  
  
They went to bed that night stiff and anxious. She slept poorly ending up in the study to read through old journals until her eyes burned. Serena's smiles were strained and Violet wanted to do something to ease her fears but she was running on empty herself. There wasn't enough left for someone else even if they meant as much as Serena did who she saw less and less as the hospital became increasingly busy, Violet hunting or in meetings. It was a race but no one knew how long it would be or how to pace themselves only that they were about to hit the wall. Long hours were spent under hot showers, her and Serena pressed close, massaging out what pains they could until one night it finally caught up to Violet.  
  
She was running, hot on the heels of several monsters, snapping slavering jaws with rows of beady black eyes that shone like beetle wings. Their teeth were long needles too large for their mouths, their fingers ending in cruelly hooked claws. They howled as they scrambled up the side of a building, Violet following more slowly; her knee still hurt and so did her ankle but she kept going, swearing when she couldn't get a clear shot at them. Her lungs burned as she raced over the rooftops in pursuit leaping from one building to the next rolling to absorb most of the impact but still the thumps hurt, jangling along her nerves. She was reaching her limit and she knew it, drawing her gun to fire off a shot, clipping one of the beasts in the shoulder. Another shot and it screamed, stopping to claw at it's thigh and she drew closer to fire again through the skull – other hunters were out, they'd hear the shots and know where to go. She'd catch up once this one was gone. The monster looked up at her and _smiled_ , top lip flipping up and over the slits it had for a nose revealing another row of needle-like teeth.  
  
She'd never seen a monster do that before, not in the face of death as it clutched at the ruined meat of it's thigh. It even laughed, an awful rattling sound. She levelled her gun, pulled the trigger and blew most of it's face away.  
  
The reason for the laughter became apparent before the body hit the ground when more monsters poured over the top of the building, screeching and groaning, others chittering and clacking sound like insects creeping closer. Gun in one hand, knife in the other she weighed her options as a scream reached her ears from a different rooftop. She fired a shot at one of the monsters puncturing the throat and though another ragged sound issued from the monsters surrounding her, none seemed ready to attack as if they awaited something. They knew of some semblance of order and structure but it was more violent and frenetic with any action from a hunter driving them wild, fighting or fleeing. She was closed in, fighting down waves of panic. Maybe she could run and leap, catch a ledge and keep moving. But when she tried to move they forced her back grabbing at her arms and legs, ignoring her collectively as she slash and shot until her ammunition was gone with her hands and arms racked with agonising cramps.  
  
Another blood curdling scream rose in the night air as did a fog of breath from the monster's mouths as they panted in anticipation, their breath fetid and rancid.  
  
“What do you want!” Violet finally screamed as she continued to struggle until she was held tight, multiple hands clamping her in place. No answer came – after all, monsters could not speak. “Why are you waiting?”  
  
To the left of the rooftop stood a tall building too modern for this town made of slick dark glass and it was there that she saw it, a monster of infeasible size, the kind that were written only in the oldest scraps of lore. It was too dark to discern much else but the monsters about her trilled and keened, visibly buzzing with anticipation. Adrenaline gave her strength and distracted as they were she seized her chance to break free, sprinting hard until they moved as a great wave to cover her, crushing her beneath their collective mass. Was this how she would die? Smothered beneath stinking beasts of nightmares? _I'm sorry Serena_ , she thought as her vision swam as the air was forced out of her lungs, _I love you, I love you, I'm sorry I'm dying like this_. Just as her heartbeat began to roar in her ears the monsters moved allowing her to greedily gulp in air staggering as they dragged her upright to greet the beast that now towered above her. It looked as if it had been carved of stone with huge sweeping wings that blocked all else from sight, eyes red as blood though the surface seemed to ripple. The mouth was a vicious slash from ear to ear, tongue split into wriggling worms deep purple in colour covered in glittering silver barbs. When the mouth opened wider to bellow she could see further mouths nested below, all with the same jagged shark's teeth. It advanced with surprising grace and speed, not the lumbering behemoth it appeared but a perfect predator. Looking up she saw a crown of horns protruding from it's skull, blood and scar tissue suggesting they grew from within the skull itself, forcing their way out and recently too as the wounds looked raw and painful. A massive hand beckoned and the monsters moved her up and closer like their macabre puppet. She turned her face away, breathing through her mouth so the sulphurous stench wouldn't make her gag. The sounds it made had her shivering though she didn't understand. The very tip of a claw beneath the soft flesh of her chin made her look back at it.  
  
It smiled and dragged the talon down, the cacophony of monstrous glee the last sound she heard.  
  
\---  
  
Serena jerked awake with a start, some instinct making her roll to what had been Violet's side of the bed to fumble the drawer open to grab the gun there. The weight should have felt foreign, unfamiliar and wrong in her hand. _It feels right_ , she thought instead and for the first time since Violet disappeared, _died_ she corrected, _you know she's dead just like all of them_ , she felt right. It was barely three in the morning but she rose and dressed warmly, the gun in her jacket pocket, solid and comforting in her hand as she left the house walking briskly into town. Street lights and neon signs lit the town with more police than ever driving around as grisly attacks kept increasing. In her peripheral vision something flickered, a thin gangly creature. _Monster_ , her brain supplied. Calmly she crossed the street, raise the gun and pulled the trigger. The monster went still, lying in a pool of blood spreading out beneath it. She'd never fired a gun before, she'd never killed anything more than an insect before and she'd certainly never seen a monster before. Violet had been able to see them, not Serena.  
  
The next night she dressed as Violet had and went out with knives and guns, teaching herself as if remembering old skills. She met others, survivors and those who woke up just like her. They hunted monsters by night.  
  
Serena was the best of them all.


End file.
